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Grave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ3AJ65FnXsGrave's Theme Bio/Past In the early days of modernization, before the time man had discovered the alternate realms of the mystic, towns lay in ruins as civilization collapsed on itself from the corruption of wealth - tainting the minds of human beings, twisting them in to cruel, ruthless monsters that only sought to fulfill their greed for further wealth. An endless cycle of blissful excess as death tolls rose and empires fell. Jonah Lavayette Weissman, a young boy living among the streets of Chicago, fell victim to the hands of the corruption that plagued his home state. In the recesses of Jonah's mind and memory, his past stems back to the age of nine years old when he was awoken by a childhood friend named Vito desperately calling to him as his family home chaotically burned to the ground around them; mere flashes of his mangled, bloody mother lying beside him ingrained in to his memory. He remembered that thousand yard stare his murdered mother had as he lied beside her, blood trickling from the gunshot wound in her forehead. Frantic, scared, and motionless - Vito dragged Jonah from the burning wreckage. For an entire year, Vito and Jonah lived in the suburban pipelines in shelters made of salvaged furniture and rusted car parts, setting off in the night to steal food and necessities just to survive. Jonah came in to great illness after some time living under less-than-desirable conditions, soon before the two were discovered by a patrolling police officer and taken in to custody. Jonah was identified by the court as the son of the family that had been killed in their homes before it was burned down, and was promptly put in to foster care without Vito, due to his lack of background in the official government file of citizens. Seven years passed, and Jonah's broken and shattered mind could only mend itself to barely compose his will from the friendships he'd formed through the years of foster care - although he'd suffered countless abuses from the caretakers in charge of the institution, enacting their will on others from pure cruelty that spared no one a respite from danger. Were it not for the legislation that created the foster care to rehabilitate and raise children, many would've surely disappeared among the many dead that fell in the abyss of Chicago's darkest depths. Jonah's friends were quick to become his new found family, people whom he'd trusted with his life and acted as the only standing hope for a better future - and each of them held a special place in the boy's heart. Every night, they'd all snuck out to the roofs of the buildings to gaze at the stars, often joking amongst each other and talking the twilight away. Though his happiness fell short of one missing person in his life... Vito, the boy who he had spent his life with for as long as he could remember, and whom saved his life from the fire. A glint of determination shined in his eye as he witnessed a falling star, and called to his newly-found brothers to escape the facility with him and reclaim their lives before the caretakers could reach them. The moment they turned of legal age, legal restrictions were no longer valid, and caretakers could enact their full, violent intentions - hateful of Jonah and his friends for their rebellious and disobedient mannerisms that stirred the foster program in to constant turmoil and discord. At the age of 17, Jonah and his three brothers escaped from the Chicago Foster and Rehabilitation center to join up with Vito, who was then a Sweeper for the gang that had taken him in from the streets. Relieved, and ecstatic to meet his still-living friend, Jonah followed Vito in his footsteps, along with his friends - submerging in to hiding from the authorities that quickly sent out Wanted warrants for the four teenagers that had escaped. Void of assets, establishments, or any means of survival - Jonah himself joined up with a number of street gangs in cooperation with Vito. Death settled in Jonah's eyes like a fine dust that would soon enthrall his entire life, carrying out hits in a deep-seated anger that wished others dead; a festering corrosion of his once tender and gentle self that was taken away after the death of his family. His exceptional skill and tact in carrying out jobs soon drew the attention of the Louritz Mafia, a family that held the reigns of the society everyone in Chicago lived under, the primary supplier of drugs and weaponry throughout the country. The Louritz Godfather, Antoine Louritz, appointed Jonah as the "Gravedigger Hand", a specialist in carrying out high-stake hits. Despite his young age, Jonah was a well respected member for the first few months of his loyalty to the Louritz - until he met the Godfather's daughter, Julianna Louritz, a young, spirited, and beautiful young girl just a year younger than Jonah. The Louritz Family Code dictated that the Godfather's daughter was to be an heir to the family empire, and will marry among allies in other states to create an ever-expanding super power with potential to spread influence across the globe. Julianna was kept reclusive and nearly sacred in the Louritz mansion until she had found Jonah alone in the study room of her home. Fascinated by his mystery, she followed him, away from home and her family just to discover that Jonah had been critically wounded from one of his assigned jobs. Every night, she'd come to him during the quietest hours to tend to his health, and other times to simply chat and explore the mystery that made her so curious. On the day of Jonah's birthday, Julianna had sought him out in the shed where he lived with Vito and the others, and finds him sleeping atop a tattered and dirtied sofa. She places a heavy, iron-bound cross atop his chest, a memento given as an extension of her faith in him. However annoyed and displeased Jonah became with Julianna's constant appearance, he came to grow fond of her and her compassion. He felt content in expressing his suffering, and the burning will to protect his new family from harm that he could never know loss again, feeling as though taking the lives of criminals would secure the lives of his brothers. She was his only escape from the cold, cruel world that he lived in; like the warmth of a flame in a bitter cold. Twilight fell and Julianna, curled and sleeping in Jonah's arms, awoke to the sound of tires screeching along pavement as headlights flashed in to the shed; midnight black cars amassed by the dozen. Vito, Jonah and his brothers quickly rushed in to the driveway to find themselves faced-off against the Louritz's Tracers, who had tailed behind Julianna when it was discovered that she'd left her bedroom without permission, witnessing her sneaking around the suburb corners while headed to Jonah's home. For the Louritz family, disobedience was betrayal in its finality, and no man or woman was spared from its punishment... Death. Jonah pleaded for them to take Julianna and return her safely home before she was shot through the stomach, falling in to Jonah's arms as he and his friends drew their weapons. The Louritz Tracer's amassed from their vehicle in a firing line, brandishing rifles and side arms alike, lighting up the twilight sky with the flash of gunfire that tore the brotherhood apart; Jonah clinging to life while he returned fire, bullets plunging in to his body while he held Julianna in trying to shield her as she watched him with fading eyes. A weathered Grave stood in the cemeteries of the Lakewood Memorial, inscribed with the name "Jonah L. Weissman." A standing ovation to his former self in a soon to be afterlife as the appointed Reaper nicknamed "Grave". Moments after Jonah had blacked out from his injuries, he'd awakened in a world unlike anything he'd ever thought logically imaginable. A dark, twisted void that held no bearings of light, or even living. Some refer to it as Hell, others a forgotten nightmare realm of torture and violence. To Jonah, it was his court of sentencing where he would be judged for his grave sins. He was met with a towering, malformed figure named Vuljin, a great beast of mass and size that bore the appearance of a devil only depicted in the old testaments of religion; a hulking abomination with great horns, eviscerating claws, legs the arch and shape of what could only be described as goat-like, teeth that flashed from a lip-less mouth, no eyes that established its gaze as it breathed heavily to locate its company purely by scent. Jonah, crestfallen and torn, stood silently accepting his fate as a man deserving to be damned. The demon announced itself as the "Death Hand", an astral being of festering hatred and corruption that feasted off of the life of its victims. Vuljin, assessing Jonah's past life and deeds, offered Jonah - now calling him by "Grave", a contract to collect the souls of the living in the worlds above Hell; or be faced to suffer damnation for all of eternity. Jonah quickly saw it as a means to return to the world of the living and seek out his friends in hopes at least one survived, anger boiling inside of him as the thirst for revenge against the Louritz ate away at his very soul. Grave was met with agony as Vuljin placed its hand atop his heart, their bodies contorting and fusing together as Grave's bones shattered and reformed themselves; a hollowing yell rushing from inside of him as the beast's Death essence breathed from him - feeling the very tendons of his heart tug and pull as though there were another heart growing right beside it thumping and bumping viciously. Grave caves in to the excruciating pain and falls to his knees, losing all consciousness. He awakens in what's unclearly another world apart from the one he knew, a seemingly ancient civilization with beings far beyond from his realm of imagination. Yuna, the beast within him called out. A providence of magical beings no less chaotic than the human world. Grave soon comes to find a tapestry in the town's message world that mentions an academy called "Pandemonium", a place where students come to learn the arts of magic and strengthening their own beings. Albeit bizarre and otherworldly, Grave saw it as his only means of satiating the demon Vuljin with souls, and possibly finding himself in a place to gain the strength to return to his world and avenge his family and friends against the Louritz. Personality Grave's years of decay and hollowing had done exactly that, nearly hollowed him of all emotion and shed fragments of his morality. He's often reclusive, mellow, and at times extremely brooding. His state of mind hinders him in being social with fellow students, rendering him often incapable of sympathizing or even relating to others. One thing stood clear to Grave in this newly-discovered world - he was an outcast, not only in body, but in soul. Seldom does he ever come to get close to anyone unless he's taken a curious liking to them, whether it be that the person reminds him of his family, or simply fills him with emotions that he'd long since forgotten. Just as with any job he'd performed in the past, Grave treats his responsibilities with determination and undying resolve, seeking to accomplish all without rest. From his past Mafia experience, Grave often treats people of high-authority, eccentricity, and disrespectful nature with disinterest and disdain. Appearance Since his childhood years, Grave was never the type for flashy or colorful clothing. His upbringing in Chicago left him with very little tastes for the exquisite, often seen wearing dark clothing, either a simple vest with a black t-shirt or sweater, black jeans, and combat boots. Now arisen as the Reaper "Grave", he dons a concealing trench coat, simple blank shirts, heavy and worn pants with thick inner-linings to conceal any forms of heat to warm his cold, undead body; and steel-toed boots crafted to endure the toughest terrain and trauma. The effects of Grave's undeath had left his body incapable of aging by normal means, however slowly the Death Hand gnawed at his thinning life force. Thin, midnight black hair fell at shoulder length, concealing his face to onlookers; just as he'd hoped for. His eyes were sharp and piercing, ombre orange; fixated and studious of whatever caught his gaze. For every day that passes, Vuljin feeds off of Grave's body to sustain itself, gradually aging him over time unless he's captured the soul of a prey. Skills Strength: Granted the strength of demons through his astral connection with Vuljin, Grave's heart bears no limits in exerting strength to his muscular structure - making him capable of shattering bones with his bare hands and wielding large, heavy weapons with relative (albeit unskilled) ease. Speed: Due to Grave's size, and Vuljin's sapping of his energy, he is incapable of moving quickly just from the sheer weight of his own being; made burdensome once he's inherited his Judicator's Coffin, a heavy weapon chained to his arms that drags behind him as punishment to bear the weight of his sins - a judgment made by Vuljin himself. To increase his mobility, Grave must sacrifice his stamina to be able to achieve higher speeds, only capable of rushing in to a brisk run without doing so. Weapons: Grave is a natural gunman, trained to precision and tactfulness through his time working under the Louritz mafia and countless street gangs carrying out high-stakes hits. Modernized and adapted to mechanical technology, his skill in wielding a blade is lacking, and utilizes the Judicator's Guillotine (Great sword) haphazardly and without finesse; forcing him to devise properly timed strikes that depend solely on his own strength. Spells: Taken from a world far beyond the realm of magic, Grave has no knowledge of how to cast or utilize spells of any kind, and seeks to learn how to control the Death Hand's powers through training; although bearing an affinity to be able to harness its energy naturally through their astral bond. Beast-Taming: Vuljin is a being of its own will, a demon that possesses Grave to feast off his soul and consume those of whom Grave has slain. He's little control over the beast's will to manifest by his own will, although his body seems to morph in response to emotional trauma - acting as a manifestation of Grave's rage and hatred which can potentially serve as a catalyst for the Death Hand's element and magic. Intelligence: Coming from simple backgrounds, Grave's knowledge lies in organization, tactics, and business. In the short time he attended foster care in his prior life, he learned only simple subjects that barely constituted proper education - stunting him in being book smart in comparison to full-time students of the academy. Powers: From inexperience and confusion, Grave only bears the affinity for magic and has no practice in wielding spells until he's learned how - lest the Death Hand conjures itself and enacts its own will. Bodily Modifications: Grave has none. (Unless you count being undead as a "Body Modification") Stamina: After his resurrection, Grave's usual limitations were lifted, allowing him to perform without tiring during normal occasions - however restricted and cumbersome during combat and quests due to the exertion of force it takes to move his body in excess. Powers Death Hand Conjuring: Vuljin is a beast manifested of anger, hatred, violence, and chaos. Grave's incapable of conjuring him directly until he's properly learned to use his body as a catalyst, only arousing Death Hand's sprouting from within when Grave's reached a volatile and rage-built state. During this state, Grave gains the abilities of his spellbook, only capable of focusing the Death element in to his weapons, otherwise. Life Tap: Grave creates a blood contract with Vuljin upon contacting pools of his own or another person's blood, absorbing it along the glowing and pulsating veins that line his body which feeds the demon Grave's life force; granting him the reversal effect of Vuljin's curse to heal his wounds. In this same practice, Grave can encapsulate blood in small vials to later shatter and heal on the fly when available. (Grave can only carry two of these at a time, usable once per three turns.) Weapons Woe & Anguish: '''A pair of heavy, iron-clad handguns dual wielded by Grave - forged of otherworldly materials with railings that absorb the recoil of bullets more powerful than the modern .50cal ammunition used by the humans, empowered by runic seals ingrained by Vuljin to pierce through weakened magical barriers. Beasts '''Vuljin: The "Death Hand", an entity born from Grave's body. Height: 9' at full transformation. '''Appearance: '''A hulking beast of festering hatred and anger, Vuljin stands as the idol of malice in Hell. Standing at 9' tall, bearing no semblance to any creature known by man. Mighty, curved horns that decorate him with a crown of terror sprout from its head, hands fashioned in the form of eviscerating claws that echo with dusts of demonic Death essence, and a lip-less maw that created his symbol look of a devil; a gourging hole that consumed souls and flesh alike. '''Personality: '''Merciless, relentless, and ever-consuming, Vuljin bears no compassion for neither man or creature. A gluttonous Judicator seeking only to spread his cruelty in his firm belief that all men stood guilty of sin from merely existing as abominations of imperfection. Death Hand abuses his over-bearing influence of threats and bargaining to persuade Grave in to grim, ungodly decisions that tether the fate of those around him. Strength: Vuljin's true strength is being channeled in to Grave's physical being to give him a rating outside of any transformation, therefore sapping him of his own. Speed: The demon is a walking, towering mass of stone-like muscle; slowing him to a less-than-average speed without any further gain of attributes. Spells: Grave's spellcraft lies completely within Death Hand's magical arsenal, capable of exerting demonic powers with high affinity for two spells at once; also enabling him to counteract low-tier curses. Stamina: Vuljin's manifestation among the real-world plane of existence strips him of his otherwise infinite stamina; rendering him vulnerable to exhaustion with the exertion of his magical power - only lasting him the maximum of an hour's time before he's forced to draw back. Kinship: Through training, Grave was able to best Vuljin's strength in a dream that took him into the astral plane, enabling him to sometimes influence the demon's will - although it won't stop the decaying progress. Intelligence: As a standing ovation to ancient times before the blossoming of man, Vuljin is very wise and highly knowledgeable of the worlds within his realm - having seen kingdoms rise and fall through his reign in Hell as the Judicator of the Damned. Spellbook Vorpal Blade: Vuljin, manifested among Grave's body (at least his arm), morphs Grave's bone structure to shatter the ulna shaft and mutate it in to an elongated, blade-sharp talon form that rips from the flesh of his forearm; corroded in the dark magic of the abyssal demon. Inflicts heavy dark and physical damage at a close range - utilized as a sword. '''Strengths: '''Heavy damage, effective against opponents resistant to physical attacks. '''Weaknesses: '''Demands close-ranged combat, ineffective against dark-resistant opponents Shatter: In the clutches of Vuljin's claw, an ensnared enemy is impaled non-fatally (unless weakened) by the demon's claw that conjures a manifestation of its death essence in a dark flare, which then explodes against the victim at close-range; sending them thrashing through the air and taking partial dark and falling damage. The alternative technique of this is enacted by Vuljin conjuring the flare and launching it towards the enemy - implodes upon contact of any object. '''Strengths: '''Can be used tactfully, moderate to heavy damage, can be used at range, splash AoE damage '''Weaknesses: '''Requires ensnarement to be used to its full strength, parriable, inflicts damage against caster if they're within the area of effect. Experience Tasks Teacher's Meet Preying on Corruption (1.5) Casuals New Roommate, New Adventures! Entrance Ball Training MAY THE POWER OF FIRE COMPEL YOU! Feel the Burn The Undead and the Flame Shadows Fall Arc Arc 0 {2.5}